It is the second time that colleague Tai is leaving us. The first time was a year ago, when he still was in Houston. After only three months we asked him to come and join us in Brisbane. We therefore wonder if this will really be the last time, there might be a ¨boomerang effect” bringing him back to us. So, as we say in French, ¨ce n’est qu’un au revoir”

July is winter season in Australia. However, the winter in Brisbane is very mild. It hardly rains -it is the dry season – and the temperature is usually around 18-20 degrees at day time. But the evenings and nights can be fresh, with temperatures as low as 8-9 degrees. All in all not too bad.

Friends from Holland, Nelly Schaap and family, visited us during this period of time. They stayed a night at our place before heading North, direction Cairns, with a rented camper. They later reported cold nights on Fraser Island, their first stop. They however were thoroughly enjoying.

Our friend Christina Gomez came over from Melbourne for a long week end. She only had summer clothes with her. No problem at day time, but in the evening she had to borrow some of Wanda’s jackets. She however enjoyed the visit. Even so much that, a few weeks later, she sms’d us she had decided to move to Brisbane. She is one of these lucky people who can work from anywhere.

Birkalla Street – BBQ

Vivian, Nelly, Pieter, Christina, Rodin

Good meal, prepared by the Schaap family. I did not know the Dutch can prepare such good BBQ. They almost beat the Ossies…

Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, which sounds uncannily like loud, echoing human laughter – good-natured, but rather hysterical, merriment in the case of the renowned Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae); and maniacal cackling in the case of the slightly smaller Blue-winged Kookaburra (D. leachii). They are generally not closely associated with water, and can be found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and where food can be searched for easily.